


Silver Lining

by Crazyaniknowit



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Communication Issues, Cute, Fluff, Goofy - Freeform, M/M, Modern AU, Rocky start, Self-Indulgent, eventual kisses that's for sure, keith finds injured merman, keith nurses injured merman back to health, mermaid fic, mermen can't speak english, not rated because I haven't decided on smut yet but as of right now there's nothing planned, possible future angst, semi-permanent mute character, shiro is the merman
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-10-06 15:44:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17347979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crazyaniknowit/pseuds/Crazyaniknowit
Summary: Whatever it was, it would seem it was not an object, but a creature, and probably dead...or dying. Keith wasn't deterred by that fact, as while he was predominantly worried, that flicker of curiosity lingered.Only to be stopped dead in its tracks and filled with a great, big, inelegantly summarized: "What the fuck?"Keith stared, awed and yet utterly confused by what he was seeing. Because that...that just wasn't possible. Was it?Was this a prank?Keith turned in place, twisting his torso as he glanced around in vain for some hidden person with a camera. Surely it was a prank. Surely?





	1. Found

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to do a mermaid fic for Sheith for a long time and I've had this first chapter sitting around in my notes for months. It started out just being a fun, self-indulgent fluff-fic but it has the potential to go angsty (I'm trying to steer it away but plot bunnies are attacking). I'm just making this up as I go so hopefully this ride is fun.

It was not as if today was a special day. It was just a regular Friday morning. Keith opened his eyes and then screwed them shut at the brightness of the rising sunlight in his eyes. He groaned and rolled onto his back, rubbing at his face and stretching his limbs out until one or two joints popped satisfyingly. A glance at his clock showed six-thirty in the morning. A little later than he would like, but he _had_ stayed up reading the night before. Keith sat up - swinging his legs over the edge of the mattress - and stood, stretching his arms above his head.  
  
His morning was began in a monotonous method he had repeated so many times by now it was just mechanical. He brushed his teeth, washed his face, made a cup of coffee and a bagel, put on some sunscreen, and then he was off to the beach.  
  
Since moving to Ferndale with his mom and dad he had fallen into a comfortable routine. He took to the surf every morning, riding the waves in the quiet solitude of the tourist-free coves that the quiet little town had to offer. That's not to say the town didn't receive its own fair share of traffic, but it was not on the itinerary of your average traveler. It was perhaps only notable for the rustic style it kept, reminding Keith of an old western town from those movies his dad used to watch.  
  
It was small enough that in the short months Keith had been here he knew practically everyone in town. His mom had easily grown a practice at the hospital and his dad worked as a fireman when it was needed...which wasn't very often. Surprisingly for California. Needless to say, everyone grew to enjoy the Koganes.  
  
Well, Keith assumed they did. They liked his parents, at least. He himself was not a social butterfly, and having graduated a year before moving there didn't aid him in forging connections through school. He spoke to most people during his afternoon job at the general store, where he would work for six hours every day besides Saturdays and Sundays.  
  
As usual, the beach was quiet, only the cry of the occasional seagull and the breaking of the waves against the soft sand was to be heard. Keith took in a deep, luxurious gulp of the cool, salty air, exhaling in a sigh of contentment as he hefted his board. He wasn't feeling particularly adventurous today, so he simply set himself up atop the board and paddled over to the coves. When he reached his destination he leaned back on the board and stretched his foot up, reaching a hand toward his toes as he stretched. Even if he didn't end up riding the waves that crashed with a distant rumble just down the beach, it was still part of his routine.  
  
The sun was climbing steadily, and by the time he hoisted himself up again it was hanging high in the horizon, bathing him in bright warmth. Keith didn't mind the heat, he was used to it after a childhood in Arizona, but the fairness of his skin didn't very well agree with the copious amounts of sunshine he now got on a regular basis. At least in Arizona he had lived close to a gym for his exercise and avoided both the extents of the crippling heat and the sunburns. Because who in their right mind went out jogging in over a hundred degrees? Certainly not him.  
  
Now though, he probably spent half his paycheck on sunscreen. Not that he had anything _else_ to spend it on, he was never very needy.  
  
His mom would laugh at his attempts to feel sorry for himself whenever he inevitably came home with a sunburn.  
  
_"Nobody is forcing you to go on the waves, Keith."_  
  
Keith smiled at the thought. Indeed, no one was forcing him to do this every day. But he had always loved the water, he loved spending time in it, and he loved the adrenaline rush he achieved from coasting on the curls. He wouldn't give it up for anything, even sunburns.  
  
Speaking of the waves...  
  
Keith took hold of his paddle again, resolved to at least ride one or two before his time on the sea was over for the day. And it was then that the glisten of the sun on a foreign mass in the distance caught his eye. Keith frowned, lowering his paddle and straightening his back so that he might see it more clearly. But it would seem that over twenty feet of distance wasn't exactly a vantage point for him, and he gave a small hum as he began to make his way over.  
  
Curiosity led the way to concern when he spotted the curling thread of a suspiciously red substance in the water. Whatever it was, it would seem it was not an object, but a creature, and probably dead...or dying. Keith wasn't deterred by that fact, as while he was predominantly worried, that flicker of curiosity lingered.  
  
Only to be stopped dead in its tracks and filled with a great, big, inelegantly summarized: "What the _fuck?"_  
  
Keith stared, awed and yet utterly confused by what he was seeing. Because that...that just wasn't possible. _Was_ it?  
  
Was this a prank?  
  
Keith turned in place, twisting his torso as he glanced around in vain for some hidden person with a camera. Surely it was a prank. _Surely?_  
  
Keith slipped off of his board, swimming over and letting his jaw drop as he took in the great majesty of what he was seeing. Okay, yeah, you couldn't fake something like _that_. You couldn't fake the intricacies of the flesh of that tail, nor the way it bled absolutely seamlessly into the skin at the...the _merman's_ hips and up his spine.

Keith had difficulty admitting the word, even in his head. But this was a _merman_ , no doubt about it.  
  
He was a specimen, that much Keith could garner. His smooth, dark-scaled, white-spotted tail was astoundingly long, at least six feet, maybe seven, and altogether the man was either nine or ten feet long. It was adorned with many smaller fins, and one large tailfin, silvery and almost sparkling. His skin was deeply tanned with what Keith assumed was time in the sun, shimmering as the light caught on a scale here and there. He couldn't see his face, but the mer had long, dark locks that trailed down over his shoulders.  
  
Though the physical features, while intriguing, were not what sought Keith's immediate attention. It was the deep gash in the creature's back, curling around toward his ribs and oozing dark blood into the water. Keith swore, treading through the water to reach up and feel for a pulse at the merman's neck. He tried not to pause and marvel at the sight of gills and papery, silky fins sitting on the junction of his shoulder. Upon finding a steady beat beneath his fingertips he was wrapping an arm around the mer's and tugging him toward the coves. He didn't know as much as his mom about wounds like this, but he knew the basics. And he didn't have much to work with in open water, not to mention the inevitable attraction of various carnivorous creatures.  
  
But _Jesus!_ This guy was heavy! Keith was just glad he didn't seem to need air, and that he didn't need to struggle to keep both himself and his newfound companion above the surface. At least the distance was not much more than ten meters, and he was a good swimmer in any case. Not like that mattered when you were trying to lug what felt like an easy three or four-hundred pounds. Maybe even more.  
  
Keith grunted as he approached the lip of the small slope of land inside the cove. And he took a breath as his head slipped below the surface, if only for a couple seconds. As soon as his feet touched the squishy surface of loose sand beneath the water he was heaving himself up and dragging the merman onto the sand. He left the tail to float, he didn't really want to try and hoist that out of the water, after all. He was sure it made up the bulk of this guy's weight.  
  
Now that he was on land again he took a moment to press his hands to his knees and pant for breath.  
  
_God_...  
  
He wiped at the saltwater trickling down his forehead, straightening and taking a step toward the merman. He pursed his lips as he took in the severity of the wound, it was indeed deep, and it looked painful, if he were to count the dark bruising around the gash he would assume the merman was caught up in the storms of the past few days. Maybe he was thrown against the rocks? It seemed like a logical conclusion. The wound didn't seem like it would be life-threatening if it was tended to, and the salt from the sea would prevent any infection. So Keith surmised that his only job here was to stem the bleeding and patch him up.  
  
Keith huffed a small laugh at the absurdity of the day, running his hand over his face, and then he blinked as a thought occurred to him. Oh...he didn't have anything to patch him up with. He frowned deeply at that, unsure if it was wise to head back home and fetch something without at least stopping the blood flow. Which _was_ considerable. It would take him just about ten minutes to get there and another ten to get back. And he had to fetch his board, _and_ bring a first aid kit on his way back.  
  
He sighed and cast his glance down at his swim shorts.  
  
_Goddamnit_.  
  
Keith thumbed at the fabric, and initially dismissed the idea. It was too breathable, it wouldn't stop any bleeding. But maybe....maybe he could use it as a cinch instead of a clot?  
  
With that in mind he gripped the edge of his shorts and tugged with all his might, almost falling off balance as the fabric gave, if only just barely. He groaned when he came to the conclusion that there was no way this wasn't getting awkward, and that he couldn't do this properly while wearing them.  
  
"Fuck my life." Keith muttered as he tugged the garment off and ignored his own nudity in favor of tearing more precisely at his shorts. At least he could put what was left of them back on.  
  
Once he was left with a few wide strips of fabric he turned his attention back to his "patient". He noticed belatedly and with a gasp that his right arm was missing, cut off just inches above the elbow in a jagged mess that looked long healed. Keith blinked at it, and at the flash of white hair that he hadn't seen before as the merman let out a small noise. Keith shook his head and went about wrapping the strips of cloth around the man's torso, and that in itself was quite a chore. The guy would be at least twice his size if he were human, so you could probably guess at how much more difficult it was maneuvering him. But he managed to make it work, in an ugly, half-assed sort of way.  
  
He tightened the poor excuse for a makeshift bandage around the merman's torso with a small tug, and as a whimper escaped the creature in his care he swore softly.  
  
"Sorry." he murmured, tying the knot with a pat against his skin. "Be right back, buddy." he said as he stood, pulling what was left of his shorts back on and running back into the ocean. He ignored the way bright blood was washed off of his hands by the water.  
  
He must have gone to and fro in record time, because before he knew it he was paddling back with his kit in tow and a fresh pair of shorts, and a shirt, and a second roll of bandages. The guy was a great beast of a man... _err_ - _merman_ , at least Keith _assumed_ he was bigger than usual, because...well he _was_.  
  
Upon arriving back he saw that the mer had not moved, and he felt a furrow form in his brow out of concern. Instinctively he was kneeling beside his head and testing again for a pulse, a small wave of relief flooding him when he found it active. And though Keith didn't know if mermaids functioned the same way as humans, he swiped long hair aside from his forehead and pressed the back of his hand to it to garner his temperature. A fever was nearly impossible, as infection was highly unlikely, and he would have removed his hand at the expected conclusion that there was no fever. But he found himself taking pause and exhaling a small gasp, because....  
  
"Holy _shit_."  
  
Keith had seen attractive people before, _men_ in particular, but... _that said..._

Upon seeing strong cheekbones, an absolutely chiseled jawline, long lashes that had _no_ business being so lush and elegant, elfish ears, and a delicate draping of both black and white hair, Keith was positively _starstruck_. He supposed it was true what they said in mythology: mermaids and mermen alike were positively _beautiful_. He did take notice of the scar that bridged jagged line across his nose and tapered off on either cheek. But that only served to enhance the ethereal beauty of this creature.  
  
Keith bit his lip and retracted his hand, clearing his throat as he forcefully turned his attention to his first aid kit. " _Right_. Okay." he mumbled to himself as he made quick work of the makeshift bandage. He rinsed the wound with the seawater and tried not to think about the twitch of the merman's tail and the hiss he sucked in between his teeth. He wasn't _awake_ , but he was still feeling this. He found himself consistently murmuring _sorries_ and wincing as he thoroughly cleaned the cut, smearing antiseptic over it and wishing he knew how to stitch it. Granted he didn't have the tools for that. He wrapped it snugly and then sat back to wipe at his forehead, studying his handiwork thoughtfully.  
  
He frowned at the prospect of the bandages soaking through and moved to tug the mer further up into the sand. The tide was in, so the cove would be cut off from the ocean later in the day. The lip of the entrance was high enough that the water would pool in the cove regardless of the tide.  
  
Keith sighed and moved to sit by the mer's head, watching as his brows, fins, and ears twitched in his sleep and how the gills on his neck stuttered with his stilted breath every so often. He bit his lip as he reached a tentative hand down, swiping damp strands of silvery hair from his forehead and tucking them gently behind his ear. His fingers didn't leave his skin, and he hummed as he took in the strange texture of it, similar and yet different from that of a human's.  
  
He turned his gaze down, and he trailed his hand down the length of the mer's only arm, lifting his hand and studying the thin, veined webbing that spanned the stretch of his fingers, of which ended in sharp nails...or claws rather. "That's weird." he said to himself. He pursed his lips and then a thread of curiosity led him to carefully pull back the mer's top lip, taking in the row of sharp canines. So he was a carnivore.  
  
He hadn't thought about what might happen if the mer woke up. He would surely be in pain, that was what Keith had brought ibuprofen for. But he would need the mer to actually eat it, and he didn't necessarily want to chance trying to make him swallow it unconscious. Who knew what those teeth could do?  
  
Keith leaned back on his palms to purse his lips in thought, bouncing his knee against the sand and watching the mer's chest rise and fall with his breath.  
  
His gaze drifted to the inside of the cove, studying the outcropping of rock. The sun broke through the roof in thin streams, made visible by the occasional hole in the rock above. It gave the cove a gentle glow, and the caws of seagulls in the distance helped the atmosphere grow calm and peaceful. It was nice, Keith surmised. He did wonder whether the mer would stay once he woke up. He supposed he could only wait and see. He didn't know how much mobility would be limited by the wound in his back. If the mer could swim well on his own then there was no harm in letting him go.  
  
Keith heaved a sigh and shifted to reach over the mer's head, grabbing for his kit. And then he stilled at the shuffling of the body beneath him, turning his head to meet a _piercing_ silver gaze. He froze in place, watching warily as those eyes blinked, darting around so quickly he almost missed it. And then he was recoiling in surprise as a hand grabbed at his hip, claws scraping skin, and in his clumsy efforts to move out of reach he tumbled forward into the first aid kit with a startled cry.  
  
And then he let out a sharp yelp of pain as the mer sunk his teeth into the meat of his calf and bit down... _hard_.  
  
_"Ow! What the fuck?!"_ Keith yelped, twisting in place and hissing curses as he tugged against the firm, stinging hold the mer kept on him, gaze still locked on his face and looking rather pissed off. "Fucking _hell!"_ Keith panted, looking away and letting his body sag. Every move he made only served for those jagged teeth to sink further into his leg, and he was _not_ anxious to make his wound any worse. So he waited, panting into the fine sand and keeping his muscles as slack as possible.  
  
And after perhaps five minutes he felt the mer relax his jaw. Keith twitched, but he still waited, because if he pulled away now he was going to go against the grain of his teeth and _that_ would not be pleasant.  
  
The mer finally removed his teeth, and it took every ounce of willpower Keith had not to move just yet. He exhaled long and slow, his calf pulsing with red-hot pain with every beat of his heart. He did have to wonder whether or not the mer was venomous. He didn't _think_ so? Weren't venomous creatures brightly colored?  
  
Keith inhaled sharply and took his chance. He rolled away, pushing to his feet and flinching at the low hiss the mer cast his way. He didn't make two steps before he dropped back down to the sand and cradled his leg to his chest.  
  
_"Jesus!"_ Keith winced, examining the bite mark with a wince. "Grateful much? So much for saving you." he turned a scowl the mer's way while he blindly groped around for the bandages. "That makes _two_ of us injured now. And to think I was going to go get you some fish." he complained as he shuffled over to the water and drizzled some over the steadily bleeding punctures. The sting of the salt made him whimper pathetically and he turned his head in embarrassment when he saw the mer lean forward in his periphery.  
  
Keith turned back to grab some antiseptic out of the kit, glancing up to see the mer watching curiously, sitting up and clutching at his own bandaged wound all the while. Keith heaved a sigh while he wound the bandages tightly over his calf, more tightly than he had done for the mer. He needed to swim back home and he couldn't afford for the bandages to come loose or his blood to seep into the water.  
  
"My dad says I never look before I leap." Keith said, not entirely sure _why_ he was speaking to him. Maybe to fill the silence, maybe to make himself feel better, because nursing an angry bite from some mythical cryptid _wasn't_ exactly how he had planned this day going. "He's right, but I never listen either." he said with a hum and a smile, looking up to see silver eyes regarding him curiously, suspiciously.  
  
"I could say the same for you. I didn't hurt you, you know." he continued, and the mer tilted his head, ears twitching beneath the thick curtain of hair cascading over his shoulders. "I get you must have been scared, though." Keith shrugged, tying off the bandage and gingerly arranging his leg against the soft sand. "I would be too."  
  
The mer only continued to stare at him.  
  
Keith pushed a long breath out through pursed lips and chuckled again at how crazy this day had turned out. "Can you even _understand_ me?" he asked, looking up to meet the mer's intense gaze. "No? Yes?" he prodded, lifting his hands and gesturing at the mer, only to make him bare his teeth and hiss at him again.  
  
Keith scoffed and pointed to his mouth, "Can you _speak?"_  
  
The mer tilted his head again, teeth vanishing as he pressed his lips into a thin line. Keith pointed again, and the mer blinked.  
  
"Can you understand?" Keith pointed to his head, and the mer only let out what sounded like a soft coo, strange for something so human-like to produce and yet fitting for a merman. "Guess that means _no_." Keith chuckled, "Just my luck I happen to get stuck with a merman who _doesn't_ know English. This isn't like the movies at all."  
  
The mer simply stared.  
  
Keith sighed, getting to his feet with a wobble, "I'm gonna go get you some food." he said, taking a careful step on his injured leg and gasping, it wasn't bad enough that he wouldn't be able to walk, but he would have a defined limp for a while, that was for sure. "Thanks for this, nice little _memento_." Keith drawled sarcastically, gesturing to his leg, and the mer looked where he pointed almost lazily.  
  
"Heh." Keith laughed again, "You're not even _sorry_." he shook his head as he gathered his board and stepped into the water. A low noise of distress prompted that he look back. The mer was obviously having difficulty moving, and he was panting heavily, clutching his side and looking - for lack of a better word - _terrified_. He glanced at the opening of the cove, and then back at Keith, desperate to convey but lacking in the means.  
  
_"What?"_ Keith prompted, kneeling with a wince of pain to be at eye level, "You don't want me to leave?" he asked, and the mer only stared without understanding, eyes pleading. "I'll be right back, I _promise_." he said, reaching down to pat the tail that floated in the water, ignoring the hiss of reproach as he did so. He raised a brow at the mer even as he left, and the mer only scowled at him as he watched him go.

* * *

  
Keith returned a little later than he planned, as he needed to devise a way to carry the fish back. But he settled on a cooler because it would float, it would keep the fish cold, and, well...he was hungry too. He packed a sandwich for himself, hoping it wouldn't taste like fish. He also checked his leg while he was home, and despite the fact that it hurt like a _bitch_ the halo of red puncture wounds looked like they would heal up nicely, so long as he didn't do anything _too_ strenuous.  
  
By the time he got back to the cove the mer was laying on his back and staring at the ceiling, looking for all the world like he had been _pouting_.  
  
"Hey buddy." Keith said as he hoisted himself from the water and dragged the cooler ashore. The mer turned to look at him, expression blank and somewhat unimpressed. "I _said_ I'd be right back." Keith said as he opened the cooler. The mer seemed to heave a sigh as he turned his head away and fiddled with the sand, tail flicking absently in the water, the appendage was rather distractingly beautiful.   
  
Keith shook his head in disbelief over the mer's behavior, he was acting not all dissimilar to a petulant child. Though he supposed the mer couldn't have learned any manner of decorum alongside his lack of a language. So he would give him a tentative pass on that. "Hope you're hungry." he said as he hoisted one of the snappers up for the mer to see.  
  
The mer turned to look at him lazily before his interest was most definitely piqued, and he lifted his head, eyes wide and his lips parting in what looked like surprise. Keith smiled, standing and limping over to offer the snapper to him. The mer struggled to sit up, wincing visibly at the strain in his back muscles. Keith would have helped, but he had to assume from now on that any attempt at touch would be met with sharp teeth. The mer exhaled a sharp breath once he had accomplished his goal and then furrowed his brows up at Keith, his gaze flitting to the fish longingly.  
  
"Well go ahead and take it." Keith lifted his hand into the mer's reach, "I am  _not_ getting any closer." he said.  
  
The mer's arm moved to take it, hesitating briefly, and then Keith held his breath while those clawed fingers brushed against his in their endeavor to take the fish from him. His touch was surprisingly gentle, _delicate_ even as he plucked the snapper from his hands and then pulled it to his mouth to unceremoniously take a bite.  
  
Keith wrinkled his nose, " _Eww_." he muttered as he went to sit by the cooler. He fetched the second fish, watching calculatingly as the mer swallowed the head of his snapper whole before he moved on to the rest of the fish. With a hum and a small smirk Keith opened the bottle of ibuprofen and stuffed a few capsules into the gills, hoping the mer would swallow them without noticing. He turned to see the mer watching him, eyes narrowed and neck craning to see what Keith was up to.  
  
"You want another one?"  
  
The mer blinked at him.  
  
Keith stood and winced as his calf throbbed with his next steps. " _Here_." he held the second fish out to the mer, who narrowed his eyes suspiciously as he slowly repeated the process of taking the fish. Keith almost laughed when the mer swallowed the head whole yet again, all the while watching him warily. He bit his lip as he smiled, turning in place to fetch the last fish and his own sandwich. He chanced stepping closer, and while the mer's lip curled up in warning he didn't make a move to stop Keith from laying the last fish on his lap.  
  
Keith smiled at him while he rinsed his hands in the water and then opened up the bag that held his sandwich. He sat down two or three feet away from the mer and ate quietly, focused solely on his food and keeping an eye on him in his periphery. He did notice that after the mer had finished his meal he eyed Keith intently, and after a moment he slowly turned his head to meet those silver eyes. The mer continued to stare, and Keith took another bite without breaking the gaze.  
  
"What?" he prompted even though he knew the mer couldn't possibly answer him. The mer looked at his sandwich, and Keith scoffed. "You want to try it?" he asked, gesturing with the sandwich and watching as the mer tilted his head in curiosity. It was...kind of _cute_...and also a little disturbing to watch what looked like a full grown man behave like an animal. He carefully tore a piece from his sandwich and then held his hand just barely in the mer's reach.  
  
His hand was quicker this time, and Keith yanked his hand back in a protective flinch as the tidbit was grabbed from him. The mer cast him a looked that almost seemed amused as he began to examine the bit of sandwich. Keith watched him separate the bread from the turkey and the lettuce, meticulous and careful in his mannerisms as he lifted the bread to nibble at it. He seemed to consider for a moment before he took a proper bite of it, and then he looked at Keith before he tossed the remaining bread at him.  
  
Keith threw his hands up with a yelp as the bread hit his chin and bounced away, laughing at the blatant rejection. "What about the rest?" he asked, pointing to the turkey and the lettuce that still rested in the mer's lap.  
  
The mer scowled at him and repeated the tasting process with the lettuce, and Keith was surprised that he seemed to like it. The same with the turkey, though he seemed offended at the mustard, and he wiped it off on the sand before he finished it.  
  
Keith crossed his legs and massaged absentmindedly at his calf, heaving a tired sigh, "Well, now I know what you like." he said, turning his gaze to the mouth of the cove. The tide was beginning to go out, and he needed to be in town within the hour to start his shift. He didn't really want to leave...  
  
He turned to look at the mer, watching as he mimicked him and stared out at the open water.  
  
"Are you gonna stay?" Keith asked, and the mer turned to him, his ear twitching. "Stay here?" Keith pointed to the sand, and the mer furrowed his brows, visibly confused. "Or _go?"_ Keith pointed to the ocean, and the mer's eyes followed his gesture stiltedly. And then recognition seemed to flash across his features, and he lifted his hand to point at the ocean.  
  
Keith tried not to feel disappointed. Well...if anything, he'd have a fun story to tell his relatives in the distant future, maybe be pegged as the crazy one in the family - or at the very least a liar - but _hey_ , what can you do?   
  
"You want to go?" he repeated, pointing again, and the mer pointed again in kind, more insistently. Keith nodded and sighed as he heaved himself to his feet. "Okay, I gotta touch you for that." he said as he stepped over, and the mer's eyes grew a bit wild as he moved to step over his tail. Keith looked up, slowly reaching down to grab at his tail, just above the fin, and the mer's lip began to curl instinctively before he seemed to calm himself. With visible effort, but Keith didn't blame him.  
  
"Just gonna put you back in." Keith said as he began to pull, and the mer jolted in surprise as he was dragged back into the water, a lot easier than dragging him _out_ had been, that was for sure. Keith _was_ surprised when the mer wriggled in the water and then sank to the bottom of the cavern floor. He watched from where he stood in the sand, waiting for him to leave, but the mer only twisted in place a few times, flicking his tail and floating a little ways before he sank back down.  
  
Perhaps he was too injured?  
  
Keith took a step into the water, and the mer turned to look at him, his hair floating around everywhere and obscuring his face from view, but Keith hoped he would give him the benefit of the doubt. He took a deep breath and sank below the surface, swimming down with difficulty and gesturing toward the bank of the water. The mer stared at him, and he exhaled his breath in a groan as he swam back up and breached for a second breath. "Fuckin'... _ugh_." he grumbled as he swiped his hair out of his face and looked back down, only to find the bottom of the cove empty.  
  
He turned in place and then yelped in surprise when the mer was floating beside him, staring at him from behind a dripping curtain of mix-and-match hair.  
  
"You scared the _shit_ out of me!" Keith scolded, and the mer only snuffed, nose beneath the water's surface and his brows pinched in obvious pain as he slowly twisted his tail from side to side in the water. It was enough to keep him afloat, but not enough to efficiently get him anywhere, it would seem.  
  
"So you don't really have a choice, do you?" Keith said as he backpedaled to the bank, and the mer followed with stilted movements, his breath heaving as he rested in the shallow water and hung his head. Keith sat in the water a foot away, watching a myriad of emotions pass over the mer's face while he realized the extent of his predicament.  
  
" _Hey_..." Keith shuffled over on his knees, and the mer hunched his shoulders, hissing as he laid a hand on his closest shoulder. Keith didn't remove it, and he leveled the mer with a steady gaze as he turned his head and scowled at him in offense. "You just need to heal up." Keith said with a slight smile, and the mer hoisted himself up onto his arm, trying to maneuver until he was sitting. He bared his teeth when Keith used his other hand to help, and Keith _tsked_ and shook his head.  
  
" _Ungrateful_." he muttered as the mer successfully rolled into a sit, panting and glaring at him from beneath thick lashes that really dampened the effect he seemed to be going for. Keith absently tweaked the small, pale fin that adorned the lower underside of his tail, and the mer grunted. "You're probably going to have to get used to me touching you, buddy. I'm going to need to change those someday." Keith gestured vaguely to the bandages wrapped snug around his back and belly. The mer followed his gesture and then thumbed at the gauze.  
  
Keith briefly worried he would take them off, but the mer seemed to understand that it was meant to help, so he only huffed and leaned back on his single hand. Keith frowned as he remembered the time, and he bit his lip as he turned toward the ocean. The tide was heading out, and he would have a much harder time of it if he didn't leave soon. He was loathe to do so, because despite their rocky beginnings he was starting to enjoy the mer's company.  
  
" _Hey_." he tapped the mer's tail, and he turned to look at Keith expectantly.  
  
Keith pointed to himself, and then to the cove entrance, "I need to go." he said, and he could swear the mer's pointed ears drooped, his eyes growing sad. At least he seemed to understand Keith's intentions well enough. "I'm sorry, I'd stay if I could." Keith said, standing and fetching the cooler. The mer watched him all the while, his tail swishing to and fro in the water and his shoulders hunched to his ears in a pout.  
  
"I'll be back later." Keith said as he entered the water, and the mer's eyes grew wide as he began to leave, as if he couldn't believe he was actually going. Keith gasped as the silky flat of his tailfin _thwacked_ into his side, but looking back he saw no malice, just a frightened creature that didn't want to be alone. "I promise." Keith said, and the mer only turned his head to sigh at the water.  
  
Keith made his way home and eyed the jet ski they hadn't fueled and tuned yet, it had been sitting in the winter waters for a while. Perhaps he would fix it up in the morning and use it for his visits to the cove. It would be quicker and he wouldn't need to worry about dragging the heavy cooler along.  
  
He took a quick rinse in his shower, dressing in some jeans and a t-shirt before he grabbed his wallet and keys and headed to his motorbike.  
  
_'We really need to find a way to communicate.'_ he thought to himself on the drive to town. And all throughout work he wondered what the mer would be up to. He wondered if the mer thought he wasn't coming _back?_  
  
He made a mental note to buy some fish so his dad wouldn't notice they were missing... _and_ a few extra so the mer could eat.  
  
The _mer_...  
  
Keith frowned as he stocked a shelf with canned beans. He also needed to figure out a _name_ for the merman, it was growing tiring not having anything to call him. He didn't suppose the mer had a name of his own? What with not having a language and all. Maybe he could teach him? He would be there for a while, after all. At least a few weeks, judging by how severe his injury had been.  
  
But what would he _name_ him?  
  
Keith was fairly distracted by that question, and his coworkers kept nudging him when he started to trail off in thought. Luckily he wasn't manning the register, otherwise he might have irritated a few customers. He was trying to name the mer after some aspect of his body almost like one names a pet. Though he did shoot down _Spot_ right away, he wasn't _that_ unoriginal.  
  
He chuckled at the thought.  
  
"What're _you_ laughing at?"  
  
Keith turned to Pidge in surprise, shrugging his shoulders, "I think I got too much sun today." he said with a lopsided smile.  
  
"I'll say." Pidge gave a grunt as she hoisted herself up onto the counter where Keith was working. "You're usually so efficient. You've been ditzy all day. You got a _girlfriend_ or something?" she chuckled, and Keith scowled.  
  
" _Definitely_ not." he said with a wrinkle of his nose, turning away and returning to his task of sorting the chips.  
  
Pidge raised a brow at his reaction, " _Ohhh_...boyfriend then?"  
  
Keith flushed and scowled at her, "Again, _no._ "  
  
Pidge smirked, "Oh _please_ , that's the face of a liar." she crossed her arms and studied her short nails.  
  
Keith sputtered, "I'm not... _lying!"_ he exclaimed, blush only intensifying at the way his voice cracked.  
  
Pidge chuckled, "If you say so. But I'm onto you, Kogane." she said as she pushed off the counter with a wink.  
  
"Little gremlin." Keith muttered.  
  
"Heard that! Now I'm going to hack into your phone and find out!"  
  
"I don't. Have. _A boyfriend!!"_  
  
Keith shook his head with a fond (if a little irritated) smile and returned to his task, thinking about the strange shock of silvery hair that adorned the mer's forehead, always spilling across his face and practically sparkling in the sunlight. He lifted his head and then pulled his phone from his pocket, looking up names that held _white_ as a meaning. He frowned at the names he found, scrolling absently and not liking a single one.  
  
"Maybe I'll figure one out later."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have chapter 2 written already so it should be up real quick, the next updates will be slower XD


	2. Name

Keith got home a few hours later, and he waved absently to his mom when she greeted him.  
  
"How was work?" she asked as she stirred whatever was cooking for dinner. She wasn't the best cook if his dad wasn't home to help her out, but she managed when he got called out for the occasional wildfire. Today was one of those days. It stressed both him and Krolia to no end but it came with the territory of being a fireman's family.  
  
Keith rested his elbows on the counter and heaved a sigh, "Work was work. Nothing exciting." he mumbled, rubbing his eyes sleepily. Krolia turned to smile at him in understanding, and Keith blinked when he saw her coat on the table, "Night shift?" he asked.  
  
She gave a weary nod, " _Yep_. This is more breakfast for me than dinner." she said as she stirred it a little more, "Probably the last decent thing I'll eat for the next ten hours."  
  
Keith winced, " _Wow_."  
  
"We're short staffed on a normal day and the flu is raging this year, add in a few vacant nurses and then impatient tourists..." Krolia explained, shaking her head and chuckling.  
  
"I hope you're bringing coffee." Keith said as he moved to help her with dinner by fetching bowls and utensils.  
  
"Thanks sweetie." Krolia smiled at him, "And yes, lots of coffee. I sure do hate night shift."  
  
Keith set the bowls down beside her and then moved to the fridge, sticking the fish he had bought back in as discreetly as he could and then fetching a soda. He moved to lean against the counter, sighing as he sipped at the drink and thought about what the mer was doing right now. He wasn't sure if he should tell his mom about him. Granted he would just have to show him to her to get her to believe it, it wasn't a matter of her believing him, but a matter of whether that was _safe_ for the mer. Maybe the mer didn't _want_ him to tell anyone about him? How was he to know? The mer couldn't talk.

His mom was good at keeping secrets, but this was a rather special circumstance.  
  
Keith frowned, he would have to give it some thought.  
  
"Don't think _too_ hard, you'll strain yourself." Krolia said with a smirk, and Keith smiled, "You always get that look on your face when you're overthinking things. Reminds me of your dad." she scooped what Keith saw was clam chowder into the bowls and turned on her heel, gesturing to the table.  
  
Keith followed, and he failed to notice that she was watching him calculatingly the whole time.  
  
He sat down and began to eat, just as soon pausing and glancing up to meet her gaze, "What?"  
  
She pursed her lips, "You're limping."  
  
Keith froze. He had forgotten about the bite, despite the constant ache, the bandages had been hidden under his jeans all day.

He put his spoon down and shrugged, "I swam too close to the reef and some stupid eel bit me."

Krolia raised a brow, and Keith huffed a laugh as she rounded the table and knelt to pull his leg into her lap. He watched her pull his jeans up and then peel back the bandages before she examined the punctures analytically.  
  
"Looks clean. Too small for stitches" she said, turning his leg carefully, "Strange, eels aren't usually _aggressive_." she commented.  
  
Keith shrugged, "Yeah, I guess. I must have kicked him and pissed him off or something."  
  
Krolia seemed content with the state of his wound, and she rewound the bandages with precision before she pat his leg and stood. "Don't overuse it, let it heal up, okay?" she instructed as she sat down across from him and began to eat.  
  
"Alright." Keith said with a smile.  
  
He ate with her in relative silence, and after a hug she gathered her keys and purse, waving goodbye and blowing a kiss as she got into her car and headed to town. Keith watched her go, and after he was sure he was alone he went to fetch the extra fish and his flashlight. It was getting dark and he would need it for the swim back.  
  
He headed down to the beach and gave the jet ski a longing glance as he passed it. It would be really nice not to have to swim to and fro after he fixed it up. Luckily tomorrow was an off day, so he would have time to work on it and to stay with the mer as long as he liked. He grabbed his board and set the cooler atop it before he paddled over to the cove, his progress feeling far slower than the morning's had. Probably because he was tired.  
  
When he finally arrived at the lip of the cove he peered inside, straining to see the inside in the fading orange of the sunset.  
  
"Hey...I'm back." Keith called, quiet so as not to startle the mer, and he saw movement near the shore of sand. He smiled as he paddled inside, his eyes adjusting to the dark and picking up the way the mer sat up in the shallow water and fixed him with a wide, awed gaze. The mer's silvery irises seemed to almost glow in the low light, and Keith briefly wondered if maybe they were bioluminescent.  
  
"Sorry I took so long." he said as he slipped from his board and hauled the cooler over. "I brought more fish."  
  
The mer tucked his hair behind his ear, watching him shyly. Or rather more _unsure_ , he almost seemed incredulous that Keith was there. To which Keith responded by opening the cooler and then the package of fish in haste, offering one to the mer with a warm smile. This time the mer seemed almost emotional as he reached for the fish, his hand trembling and ginger as he curled his fingers around the slimy body and took it from Keith's hold. "You okay?" Keith asked, and the mer ducked his head, cradling the fish to his chest and cooing softly.  
  
The action was adorable, and Keith smiled, "You're welcome."  
  
The mer looked up at him through his lashes, and Keith could have sworn those otherworldly eyes went a little glassy. Did he really think Keith wasn't going come back? If he didn't know better he would say the mer seemed touched by his actions. It was then that a fierce urge to protect washed over Keith like the waves that crashed against the rocks outside. This creature seemed like he had lived a hard life, battered, maimed, and scarred. Carrying a deep sadness behind silver eyes that he could see if he looked deep enough.  
  
Keith hesitated, watching as the mer ate, and then after a breath and a swell of courage he placed a tentative hand on his shoulder. The mer stiffened, but unlike earlier in the day he didn't snarl or growl or grunt, he only turned a questioning gaze upon Keith. "I don't know what you've been through, but I can promise I won't be leaving you." he said, a small smile accompanying his words, "Not until you're all better."  
  
The mer furrowed his brows, no understanding in his eyes, and Keith reached up and pat him on the head in another assuring gesture. Hopefully it would get his message across.  
  
The mer blinked, and then turned to the fish in his hand, eating it quickly before he gestured for more. Keith gave another to him, and he stayed by his side in relative silence for some time, maybe a few hours, before he yawned and began to grow sleepy.  
  
He couldn't stay the night, he might catch cold and then he would risk being unable to attend his newfound friend.  
  
"I gotta go." he said, and the mer didn't react beyond his usual curious glance when Keith spoke. Keith stood and pointed at himself and then the entrance to the cove, "I gotta _go_." he emphasized, and while the mer looked saddened, he didn't see a fraction of the panic from before. Maybe with time this would get easier for the both of them.  
  
He knelt again, ignoring the twinge of pain in his leg, "I'll be back bright and early in the morning. You should sleep."  
  
The mer frowned, but he wasn't protesting Keith's leaving.  
  
Keith gave a nod and went to go, waving as he waded into the water and grabbed his board.  
  
When he got home he showered, changed his bandages, and collapsed into bed, exhausted and mentally worn out. But he was excited for the morning, he planned on naming his friend, and maybe trying to teach him some words. Perhaps he would pick up English...eventually. If he could even _speak_ after he learned.  
  
He _should_ be able to. _Maybe_. Well...Keith didn't know whether mythical creatures _could_ speak, it wasn't exactly his forte and fiction didn't really help him along in forging a concrete answer.  
  
Keith sighed and smiled at the thought of being able to speak with the mer, hear about him and be able to assure him with confidence that he understood what he had to say.  
  
Now he just needed a _name_... 

* * *

Keith found himself covered in engine grease and sweating by the time the sun had climbed up into the sky the next day. He wiped at his forehead and took a swig of water as he tweaked a bolt here and tightened a screw there, having flushed the jet ski's fuel lines and worked out the kinks. It should run now. It was their fault for leaving it in the cold water last winter, but yeah...it _should_ run.  
  
Keith stuck the key in the ignition a few moments later and heaved a sigh of relief when the engine burst to life. His leg had ached like hell that morning, and just getting out of bed had taken a lot of convincing. He scoffed at the memory of vocally coaxing himself out of bed, _'Think of your poor merman.'_ he told himself, _'Don't let him starve.'_ and after swallowing some pain pills he was limping to the dock and getting to work. That was two hours ago. Now he was anxious to see how the mer was doing, and figure out a name because he was tired of the ambiguousness of his interactions with him.  
  
He looked up when his mom's car pulled up, and he waved when she exited, looking positively exhausted. She smiled and crossed her arms as she walked down the steps to the dock, "What are you doing?" she asked, looking him over with a raised brow.  
  
Keith shrugged, "Fixed the jet ski."  
  
Krolia blinked and chuckled, "Why?"  
  
Keith bit his lip, looking down and revving the ski once or twice, "I felt like it."  
  
Krolia hummed, "You're absolutely filthy. I'm going to make some dinner...or breakfast, rather... Take a shower." she said over her shoulder as an afterthought as she headed up to the house.  
  
Keith swung his leg over the ski and hopped back onto the dock, ignoring the dulled throb in his leg as he followed her. She wasn't wrong about the grease, and Keith watched a fair amount of water run grey before he had soaped himself down enough to be deemed clean. Though he supposed most of the mess could be attributed to the digging around in the shed he had to do.  
  
He rubbed the back of his head as he thought about how a pipe had smacked him there during.  
  
Krolia made good pancakes, it was one of the few things she could make well, and Keith heaved a sigh of thanks as he plopped down in his chair and dug in. Krolia nodded, weary and slow-blinking.  
  
"What are your plans today, sweetie?" she asked.  
  
Keith tilted his head in mock consideration, "Just thinking I'm gonna ride the ski for a bit, maybe go to the isle a ways out and have lunch. I _might_ pick a few coconuts." he added, he knew she loved coconuts.  
  
She smiled, "That would be nice. Do any of your friends have plans?"  
  
Keith furrowed his brow at the question, "Heh... _what_ friends?" he scoffed incredulously.  
  
"Isn't there that girl at the store?"  
  
Keith gave a so-and-so gesture, "I mean, I _suppose_ she's my friend. We don't talk outside of work but we get along." he explained.  
  
"Well that's better than nothing I suppose." Krolia hummed, "Still, it would be nice to see you have fun with friends, maybe….even get a _boyfriend?"_ she enunciated with a smirk.  
  
Keith blushed and ducked his head, " _Mom_..."  
  
Krolia giggled at his reaction, "I'm not entirely kidding, Keith. I'd like to see you experiencing things, having fun."  
  
"I _do_ have fun." Keith refuted. "I love it here, really. I have you and dad, Pidge is nice to me, and it's nice and quiet out on the ocean. _I like quiet_." he said, turning to look out the porch window with a smile.  
  
Krolia nodded, sighing, "I don't mean to nag."  
  
Keith turned to her and reached to cover her hand with his own, "You don't nag me, Mom, you're just looking out for me, I know."  
  
Krolia pat his hand and smiled at him, "You've inherited your dad's charm." she said with a shake of her head.  
  
Keith laughed, " _What_ charm?"  
  
Krolia gave his hand a half-hearted smack, though she also gave a hearty laugh of her own, "Believe it or not, he was _quite_ notorious back in his day."  
  
Keith raised a brow, grinning, "I'll have to take your word for it."    
  
Krolia stood and took up her empty plate, reaching for Keith's.  
  
"No, _I'll_ do the dishes, you go to sleep. You look like you're going to fall over." Keith surged up and took both plates, rolling up on his toes to plant a kiss on her cheek.  
  
"Please, I went a day and a half without sleep to birth you." Krolia tutted in mock offense.  
  
"And Dad had to catch me cause you fell asleep holding me after." Keith said, "Go to sleep."  
  
Krolia tweaked his ear as she walked by and Keith grinned, shooing her away as he turned the faucet on and began to scrub at the dirty dishes. He was dutiful, scrubbing down the kitchen thoroughly and even sweeping before he took a new pack of fish from the fridge, and after a second thought he grabbed the big bag of shrimp their neighbor had gifted them. Maybe the mer would like them. He took a couple handfuls and tucked them in a sandwich bag before he made himself two sandwiches for later and packed everything into the cooler. He went to change into his trunks and then he was hefting the cooler onto the ski and riding out to the cove, his ten minute commute shortened down to three minutes.  
  
He slowed and drifted into the cove with a smile, seeing the mer jerk up in surprise at the rumble of the engine. Once he had half-beached the hunk of metal he turned off the ignition and hefted the cooler over. "Good morning." he said, and the mer tilted his head in interest at the cooler, obviously expecting his breakfast. "Of course." Keith sighed, "Only like me for my cooking." he handed the mer the package of fish, and he took it with a curious glance at the packaging before he tore it open and ate.  
  
"You know I've been reading. Trying to figure out how to teach you English." Keith said as he sat down cross-legged in the sand and massaged his aching leg. "I figure I'll just...treat you like a kid." he chuckled, shaking his head, and in his periphery the mer tilted his head. "I mean I was thinking about it and I realized with human kids it's just repetition. We point out things and we tell them what it's called until they start to repeat it."  
  
Keith looked at the mer fully, smiling, "We go up from there." he finished, and then he carefully turned in place, raising his hand, index finger pointed. The mer stared, curious and yet unsure. Keith tapped his nose, speaking its name, and the mer tilted his head further, ears twitching. Keith tapped it again, " _Nose_." he enunciated slowly.  
  
The mer blinked, looking from where his finger rested to his eyes and then back again.  
  
"Nose." Keith continued, tapping once more before he moved his finger to the edge of his lashes, " _Eyes_."  
  
The mer's eyes went somewhat wide, and then he lifted his own finger to his own face. He tapped a claw to his nose.  
  
"Nose."  
  
He tapped the claw to his nose again.  
  
"Nose." Keith repeated.  
  
Once more.  
  
" _Nose!"_ Keith chuckled, and the mer gave a hum, not enough for his voice to seep through, but a hum all the same. And then the mer pointed to his own eyes. "Eyes."  
  
"Nose."  
  
"Eyes."  
  
"Eyes."  
  
Keith watched as the mer's lip quirked upward in amusement, and he almost wondered if the mer was toying with him. Until the mer's face fell and he gingerly pointed at his mouth.  
  
" _Lips_." Keith said.  
  
The mer seemed content with that. Keith watched as he turned his gaze back toward the ocean, gaze flitting about as he contemplated this new information.  
  
" _Hey_." Keith gestured to get his attention, and Keith offered him a smile, "Eyes." he said, hands resting on his lap.  
  
The mer tilted his head, brows furrowing in confusion.  
  
" _Eyes_. Where are your eyes?" Keith prodded, "Show me."  
  
The mer seemed a bit panicked now, and Keith watched him turn his gaze to the ground, trying to decipher what Keith meant, most likely. Keith heaved a sigh, he picked up on the pointing, that was a step in the right direction, he supposed. But it would seem it might take more than _one_ session for him to understand and associate. "You'll get there, buddy." Keith reached over and pat his shoulder, and the mer scowled at the unwarranted touch, ears pinned back against his skull. " _Oh_ so last night was a one time thing?" Keith chuckled, "Good to know."  
  
He leaned back on his palms with a sigh, and then he flopped onto the sand, rubbing at his eyes tiredly. He'd gotten far too little sleep the night before. He turned a bleary gaze to meet curious silver, smiling softly, "Watcha thinking about, buddy?"  
  
The mer tilted his head.  
  
"Still need to give you a name. I'll work on that today." Keith sighed, giving the mer a thorough once over with his eyes, trying to think of one. A name not too common and maybe not as bland as naming him for the silver of his eyes, his hair, and his fins.  
  
Or maybe that was the _perfect_ _kind_ of name.  
  
Keith couldn't think of one right off the bat, but he supposed he could look along those lines. He bit his lip as he dragged his gaze back up, trying but failing not to admire the rather rippling, toned muscle of the mer's torso. "You know you're like... _really_ pretty." Keith said, confident enough now that the mer didn't understand a word he was saying. So what was the harm in admitting it out loud? " _Super_ pretty." Keith added in a chuckle as his gaze flitted up to meet the mer's.  
  
He had his brows furrowed, ears perked but his features twisted in an attempt to understand.  
  
"If you were a human..." Keith trailed off, turning to face the ceiling, "I'd be _damned_ if I didn't try for a date. That's saying something cause I _don't_ like socializing."  
  
The mer snuffed and Keith glanced over to see him meticulously lifting his scales and scraping beneath them with his nails. He flicked away any grime that had gotten under them, and Keith watched in fascination as he groomed as far as he could reach. He couldn't cover much area, as his injury only allowed him so much movement. Speaking of which.  
  
Keith stood and approached the mer, garnering his wary attention as he sunk to his knees and tentatively reached a hand to tweak the knot of his bandage.  
  
He glanced up to see the mer looking scared, maybe angry, he didn't know for sure, but he gave the knot a slight tug and the mer's gills fluttered with his stuttering breath. "Just gotta check it, is all." Keith said, and the mer startled as he reached his other hand up to thread carefully through his hair, flinching at every move the mer made, and the mer flinched likewise. "It's okay." he murmured softly. Whether to himself or the mer...that was unclear. Perhaps both.

  
The mer's gaze was fixated on his face, lips twitching with what Keith hoped wasn't an incentive to bite. He didn't want to lose any fingers. "It's okay." Keith repeated, and the mer growled lowly as he finished tugging the bandage loose. The challenge now was unwinding it... _without_ getting bit. He paused to look up, and then he pat the mer's head again, smiling assuringly. The mer ducked his head, his lips pressed into a firm line, no longer curling and twitching with barely restrained aggression. Keith nodded and pulled the strip of gauze, slowly leaning forward to grab it from around the mer's width. And despite the wary narrowing of his eyes and the pained furrow in his brow, ears pinned back, he didn't respond beyond that. For which Keith was grateful. The bandages fell away with ease, and he shuffled to look at the mer's back.  
  
The gash was dark, red and puffy, bruises still purple, splotched with red and the greenish-yellow of healing. It was fresh enough that he couldn't tell if it had healed much, but it wasn't infected. He retrieved the first aid kit from the cooler and resettled himself next to the mer while he scooped some Neosporin into his fingers. He looked up to see the mer panting, gills fluttering violently as he gently placed the antibacterial gel against his wound. There was a flinch and a hiss, an almost-whine of pain and Keith whispered an apology as he spread the gel. The mer's hand grasped his thigh and he pushed at Keith, as if trying to make him stop without resorting to violence.  
  
"I'm sorry." Keith cooed, "I'm sorry. Just a second."  
  
The mer hissed at him, but he didn't bite. He just turned his head and heaved his breath, hand tightening its grip and occasional whimpers escaping him.  
  
"There we go. _There_." Keith stroked gently at the uninjured skin of his back, grabbing a fresh roll of gauze. He meticulously wound it around his torso, which wasn't as hard to do when the mer was sitting up, and he tied it comfortably in place with a small pat. He glanced up to see the mer looking at him, lips parted and yet despite his pained eyes he looked rather endeared.  
  
" _Look_." Keith said as he reached over to grab the bag of shrimp, he opened it and took a handful, holding them up with a smile, "It's what you get for being a good patient." he said as he handed them to him. The mer's face went alight with joy as he held the shrimp, his eyes shining with disbelief and gratitude as he looked at Keith and then popped one in his mouth. He looked rather blissed out as he chewed it, and Keith wondered if shrimp were hard to find in his day to day ocean life. "Happy to provide, buddy." Keith smiled, sort of wishing he had brought some cooked shrimp for himself. Next time, he supposed. He satisfied himself with a sandwich instead.  
  
The mer leaned into his periphery and Keith chuckled softly at the tap on his shoulder, "Of course, of course." he reached into the cooler and pulled out some extra lettuce and turkey, "Insatiable is what you are." he said as the mer took it with a smile. "Suppose it's all that healing you gotta do." he continued talking, and the mer looked up at him through his lashes as he ate, ears perked. Keith looked down at his knee when he noticed how close the mer was letting him sit, and he moved it to nudge the mer's fin, soft and silky against his skin. The mer stilled, and Keith reached out his fingers to glide them across the surface of the fin, supported by firm appendages and a bit tattered toward the edges. It was slightly slimy, too, stronger than it appeared, and it looked like flimsy paper.  
  
Keith looked up to see the mer giving him a deadpan look, and he only smiled. "You can touch me if you'd like." he shrugged, "Fair exchange." he held up his hand and the mer stared at it for a moment before he swallowed the last of the turkey and reached his clawed fingers over to stroke them over Keith's palm. Silver eyes glanced up to see his reaction, and Keith only kept his easy smile. The hand moved from his fingers to his thigh, and Keith gasped when he used his rather abundant strength to grasp his uninjured calf and lift his leg by the ankle. It made Keith lose his balance and fall onto his back, so he propped himself up on his elbows. The merman inspected his toes, and Keith laughed a bit at the ticklish glide of fingers on the underside of his foot.  
  
"Yeah I bet _those_ are fascinating." he said, wiggling his toes and making the mer's eyes go wide in wonder, he glanced at Keith and then back at his feet and Keith did it again, laughing when the mer smiled. "Funny, isn't it? Had them all my life and I _still_ think they look pretty silly." he watched as the mer looked down at him, laying his foot down and then prying his fingers at the hem of his shorts. "Clothes." Keith supplied for him, and then he yelped as the mer tugged his waistband down a ways, scrambling to his feet to pull them back up. " _Fuck_...heh." Keith said as he resettled himself a good three or four feet away, "Yeah that's... _that’s_ not allowed." he murmured, turning his head in embarrassment at the mer's still-curious stare.  
  
The mer gestured for him to come close again, and Keith bit his lip, " _Don't_ pull my pants down." he instructed as he shuffled over, and then he slapped gently at the mer's hand when it wandered back to his shorts, "No." he scoffed, and the mer grew frustrated, grabbing at the waistband and tugging, " _No_." Keith said with finality, pushing his hand away, pointing to his shorts, and shaking his head. " _No_." The mer turned his head in a pout, obviously not understanding why he wasn't allowed to mess with it, but begrudgingly accepting it.  
  
"It's _private_ , okay?" Keith explained, crossing his arms, "I'm sure where you come from your genitals probably aren't considered sacred but we humans like to keep ours hidden." he continued, ranting nervously, and the mer only tilted his head. "I can take _this_ off, though." Keith said as he pulled his shirt over his head, handing it to the mer. "You can look at it."  
  
The mer stared at it a moment before he glanced at Keith and took the shirt, examining it with a hesitant wonder and thumbing a clawed digit over the faded AC/DC logo. Keith leaned back on his hands as the mer examined it, watching his long lashes brush over his cheeks with his slow blinking, tendrils of snow-white hair spilling over his eyes and flying as he tossed his head to fix the issue.  
  
Keith wondered why he only had one section of white hair, toward his brows. It was not only interesting, but beautiful.  
  
"I think I have a name for you." he murmured, and the mer blinked once more before he turned to look at Keith, still clutching the shirt. Keith smiled, "My uncle Kolivan tried to teach me Japanese, you know. I failed, I don't see him enough to practice. I'm just glad I won't have to try and get you to read kanji." he chuckled softly, and the mer just stared, not understanding. "Anyways... _white_... _shiro_. It sounds good...I think I'll call you Shiro." Keith said, glancing at the white scales every here and there and the white forelock, silver eyes...even though his tail was primarily black it only made the color stand out more. It felt appropriate.  
  
The mer didn't respond.  
  
Keith chuckled again, "Look, let's introduce ourselves, huh?" he pointed to himself, "I'm Keith. _Keith_." he tapped his sternum, and the mer tilted his head. Keith pointed and gently tapped the mer's sternum, " _Shiro_."  
  
The mer, now coined _Shiro_ , only tilted his head further, looking down at Keith's hand.  
  
"Keith." Keith tapped himself again. " _Shiro_." he tapped Shiro's chest.  
  
He repeated it three more times, and all the while Shiro just started to look bemused. In the end he couldn't be sure if he actually understood in the slightest.  
  
"We'll get there." Keith sighed, settling himself down cross-legged beside Shiro.  
  
...It really _did_ suit him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so now that I have the 2 pre-written chapters out the next updates will take a while '^v^
> 
> Now for the exhaustive process of teaching someone english...or just to talk in general.

**Author's Note:**

> Come find me on:  
> [Tumblr](http://crazyaniknowit.tumblr.com/)  
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Crazyaniknowit)  
> 


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